The present invention relates to building construction anc more particularly to an improved structural panel for use in erecting buildings wherein the panels may be used both as wall members and as floor/ceiling members.
The use of preformed panels for erecting building constructions has been known for many years. Examples of various types of building constructural components are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,295; 3,969,866; 4,168,596 and applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,822, all incorporated herein by reference.
In the construction industry, particularly residential construction, certain standards have been developed which are used almost universally in the United States. For example, most residential constructions utilize the standard "2.times.4" studs for the outer walls as well as the partitions defining inner walls. Conventionally, the roof structure is formed utilizing larger support members or studs such as "2.times.6" or "2.times.8" studs or rafters. Similarly, floor joists are usually "2.times.10" or "2.times.12" members. In all instances, that is the wall studs and the floor joists as well as the roof joists and rafters, the center-to-center spacing between two adjacent studs or joists has been standardized to be 16 inches.
For a long time, there has been needed in the construction industry, a mechanism to fabricate large panels or walls on site in order to reduce the amount of labor necessary to construct a building. Labor costs in building construction has become one of the most significant costs and prefabricated panels provide an extremely efficient mechanism for reducing the amount of labor required to construct a building. Accordingly, the present invention fulfills a need for a panel construction in the industry which can be made of various heights or longitudinal dimensions in order to prefabricate at the site, panels which may be anywhere from one to four stories high.